Asbestos At Motel Sparks State Inquiry

April 14, 1993|By DAVID LERMAN Daily Press

HAMPTON — The new general manager of a Buckroe Beach motel said Tuesday he unknowingly removed ceiling tiles containing asbestos and disposed of them improperly before officials told him he was violating state law.

State officials are investigating how asbestos-laden tiles were removed from rooms at the Sans Souci Motel to determine if penalties should be imposed. But they said the health risk to the neighborhood is probably minimal.

"My understanding is it was done inside the rooms, " said Anna Jolly, an asbestos manager for the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry. "That would reduce the threat to a certain degree. I don't think a neighboring property would have gotten a lot of asbestos exposure."

Asbestos, commonly used as a fire retardant until the mid-1970s, has been linked to lung cancer when its fibers become airborne. Many buildings constructed before the 1970s contain asbestos, which is not considered a health risk if left untouched.

Andy Gibbs, who is renovating the 28-room motel, said he hired a contractor to remove the rest of the tiles properly after tests last week concluded the material contains asbestos fibers.

"There's a significant risk to those people who were exposed," Jolly said. But Gibbs said he has not yet hired any employees and maintained he was the only one to remove ceiling tiles over the five weeks.

Jolly said her department found no other workers at the motel when officials investigated the site last week.

The motel has been closed for the winter.

Gibbs said he placed the ceiling tiles in polyurethane trash bags and then put them in a dumpster. Jolly said, "It was disposed of in a dumpster, and it was already gone by the time we did the inspection. I assume it just went to the regular sanitary dump."

Residents may routinely dispose of asbestos - sometimes unknowingly - from their homes, which are not covered by state regulations, Jolly said. "But this was a fairly extensive job. It's not as common to see this much material removed. A lot of people don't know or understand the regulations."

Gibbs said he specifically asked the motel's previous owner whether the building contained any asbestos. The Sans Souci, built in 1959, was sold at auction in a foreclosure sale in January, he said.

"I asked the previous owner if there was any asbestos here and he said no," Gibbs said. "That was a concern before we bought it." The previous owner, Ralph Ghivizzani, could not be reached Tuesday.

Steven Shapiro, the city director of building codes and compliance, said the city requested an asbestos test last week in response to a complaint from a caller. He said the Newport News-based Marine Chemist Service, which conducted the test, found evidence of asbestos fibers. Marine Chemist declined to comment, saying the company does not release its test results.

Shapiro then notified the state, which monitors compliance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations.

Jolly said the state would decide in a few weeks whether the motel should be subject to any penalties.

Gibbs said the motel, which is now owned by Price Investment Co., is preparing to open for the summer season as early as Thursday.